It’s been a good week for the Treasurer. First his Budget received favourable reviews, and yesterday’s job figures showed Australia is enjoying its lowest unemployment in 33 years.

So here’s a comparative snapshot of the labour market today, and how it looked when Olivia Newton-John hit the charts with I Honestly Love You and John Howard entered parliament as a backbencher.

2007

1974
Total employed 10,397,800
(Apr.)		 5,902,000
Male 5,709,000
(Feb.)		 3,890,100
Female 4,641,400
(Feb.)		 2,012,000
Employed full time

Male 4,837,000 3,751,900
Female 2,561,900 1,421,400
Employed part time

Male 872,000 136,300
Female 2,079,500 591,200
Total employed by age

15-19 years 720,600 547,700
20-24 1,136,700 782,700
25-34 2,236,300 1,257,500
35-44 2,429,500 987,600
45-54 2,273,900 984,200
55-59 838,700 320,300
60-64 456,100 210,000
65-over 232,200 73,800
Total employed by sector

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 369,500 404,800
Mining 139,600 73,800
Manufacturing 1,064,200 1,374,300
Electricity, gas and water supply 86,100 104,100
Construction 961,000 506,300
Wholesale trade 458,400 376,900
Retail trade 1,497,100 786,100
Transport and storage 474,200 313,400
Communications 187,900 130,700
Government admin and defence 479,100 250,500
Health and community services 1,074,200 746,700
Recreational, personal, other services 678,900 388,500

 

* Source: all figures taken from Australian Bureau of Statistics.